Gilbert Stuart
Gilbert Stuart was an American artist who became famous for his iconic images of George Washington. This portrait came long before that, however, while he was first establishing himself as an artist. Stuart painted this work while living in London, having just finished his training with another notable American painter, Benjamin West. It was an unusual work that gained him lots of attention and commissions.
The painting was inspired by Stuart’s real-life skating afternoon with the subject, Scottish lawyer William Grant. Apparently, Stuart was a pretty good skater, but Grant wasn’t. Afterwards, Stuart had Grant pose in the studio like he was skating. The grey-toned color palette and Stuart’s characteristic soft brushwork really give the impression of a cold winter’s day. It looks like it might snow at any moment. The background shows the Serpentine River, the popular skating spot in London where Stuart and Grant had gone on their outing.
At this time, it was really unusual for a portrait to show its subject participating in any kind of sport. Full-length “grand manner” portraits were all the rage in Britain, but they typically showed subjects standing heroically still in allegorical settings. Like Grant, portrait subjects might pose with one leg forward—a position based on the famous Apollo Belvedere—but they wouldn’t usually appear in motion or in such an everyday setting. Apparently, skating with your arms folded like this was fashionable in Stuart’s day, but it would be considered very poor form today.
by Alexandra Kiely
P.S. Here you will find a story about George Washington’s triumphant return to America (see his modello at the Frick).